Which schedule of drugs includes substances with a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use?

The correct choice is related to the classification of controlled substances established by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which categorizes drugs into schedules based on their potential for abuse, accepted medical use, and safety or dependence liability.

Schedule I drugs are classified as having a high potential for abuse and lacking any accepted medical use in the United States. This means that substances in this category are considered the most dangerous, with no recognized medicinal benefits, making their use illegal for any purpose. Examples of Schedule I substances include heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and marijuana (under federal law).

On the other hand, the other schedules contain substances that are recognized to have medical uses, albeit with varying degrees of potential for abuse. Schedule II drugs, for example, also have a high potential for abuse but are accepted for medical use with severe restrictions, such as opioids like morphine. Schedule III and Schedule IV drugs have progressively lower potential for abuse and include substances that are medically accepted and used in therapeutic settings, such as anabolic steroids for Schedule III and certain anxiolytics for Schedule IV.

Thus, Schedule I's classification is specifically designated for substances that are viewed as particularly dangerous and lacking in medicinal value, reaffirming the choice made.